Three Ulster County store clerks snagged in alcohol sales sting

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- Three sales clerks at separate Ulster County establishments were arrested Sunday in a state police investigation into sales of alcoholic beverages to underage persons, authorities said Monday.

Mohammed Khan, an employee of the Corner Store on U.S. Route 209 in Stone Ridge, was arrested by state police at Ulster and charged with violating the Alcoholic Beverage Commission Law. Also arrested were Jaswinder Kaur, an employee at Empire Mart and Deli on Hurley Avenue, Kingston, and Lakshmi Jast of M and K Market/Sunoco on state Route 28, Kingston. They were likewise charged with violationg the Alcoholic Beverage Commission Law,

State police said they conducted a check of 10 local convenience stores during the pre-game hours leading up to the Super Bowl to assure they were in compliance with the law.

Police said they sent a 19-year-old into the stores to try to buy an alcoholic beverage while "under the watchful eyes of a member of the state police in plain clothes."

Advertisement

They said the majority of the store clerks checked his identification and refused the sale.

In the three instances where the sale was made, the clerks did not ask to see an ID, police said.

The following stores were found in compliance with the law: Citgo on U.S. Route 209, Stone Ridge; Crossroads Deli at Lucas Avenue and Cottekill Road, Cottekill; Convenient Food Mart, Lucas Avenue, town of Ulster; Stewart's stores on Lucas Avenue, town of Ulster, Main Street in Hurley, and Route 28, Woodstock; and Cumberland Farms on Mill Hill Road, Woodstock.